Like many races in this part of the world, Dwars door Vlaanderen features some of the most storied bergs in Flanders. However, unlike most of those other races, Dwars door Vlaanderen – meaning 'Through Flanders' – can claim to be a true dress rehearsal for the main event that is the Tour of Flanders, as it comes only four days before.
The 189km WorldTour-ranked men’s race starts in Roeselare and finishes in Waregem, while the 129.9km women’s event is a ProTour race starting and finishing in Waregem. They're races with serious pedigree – the men's event has been run every year since 1945, while the women's race was inaugurated in 2017.
Both are challenging events and replete with bergs – the men's event features 12 climbs and 10 cobbled sectors, and the women's nine of each. Many of those climbs can be found in other events – the Berg Ten Houte, Kanarieberg, and Nokereberg are all current or former Tour of Flanders climbs, for example.
Last year's editions of Dwars door Vlaanderen were won by Visma-Lease a Bike and SD Worx-Protime, thanks to Christophe Laporte and Demi Vollering respectively.
Vollering, and her top teammates Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes, the latter fresh from winning Gent-Wevelgem, return to action oncer more in the women's race.
The men's edition, meanwhile, will see Van Aert back racing Classics, as well as Gent-Wevelgem winner Mads Pedersen, and the reigning Milan-San Remo champion Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2024 Key Information
Date: Wednesday March 27
Location: Waregem, Belgium
2023 winners: Christophe Laporte (men); Demi Vollering (women)
TV: Discovery+/Eurosport
Distance: 189km (men); 129.9km (women)
Route
Once the men have completed their starting leg, which runs south-east from Roeselare to Waregem, both men's and women's races take on a broadly similar appearance.
They head south from Waregem via Oudenaarde and into hill country. At this point the men's route slots in a bit of additional climbing courtesy of an extra loop that features Berg Ten Haute and Kanarieberg along the way. They then lock into the same course, heading north again back to the finish line in Waregem.
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2024 riders to watch
Wout van Aert
Visma-Lease A Bike
****
With no Mathieu van der Poel on the start list, all eyes will be on Wout van Aert, with the Belgian hoping to prove his form one final time before the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. His E3 Saxo Classic could have been so much better, had he not crashed on the Paterberg, leaving him to fight for the podium, rather than challenging for the win.
Jasper Philipsen
Alpecin-Deceuninck
****
Despite the race's berg-heavy parcours, the last 20 kilometres are relatively straightforward and the most on-form sprinters are never far from the top of the results. Cue Philipsen, who looks the most in-form men's sprinter bar none – he can get over a hill too, as evidenced by his recent Milan-San Remo win.
Mads Pedersen
Lidl-Trek
*****
When the going gets grippy but there's a sprint at the end, who you gonna call? Dane Pedersen would be at the top of that list, and he was fifth here last year. With fourth at MSR, plus four wins and two GC and points classification victories, you might say he's off to a good start this year too. A victory at Gent-Wevelgem proved his top form.
Demi Vollering
SD Worx-ProTime
****
The Dutchwoman has limited results to show for her 2024 season so far, but those few results have the words 'another awesome season coming up' written all over them. Sixth at Omloop; third at Strade Bianche – the only thing holding her back at Dwars could be a laser focus on De Ronde a few days later.
Shirin Van Anrooij
Lidl-Trek
***
The 22-year-old Belgian keeps getting better every year. A broken rib racing cyclo-cross at the very start of the year doesn't seem to have held her back, but despite high finishes at Strade Bianche and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad she is yet to record a win. Might that happen at Dwars?
Lotte Kopecky
SDWorx-Protime
*****
As her team boss Danny Stam said after the recent Trofeo Alfredo Binda, "there is no curse" on the reigning world champion's jersey. In the UAE Tour and Strade Bianche has already pocketed wins enough to last most riders a season or more. But Kopecky, along with strike partner Vollering, look set to contend, even dominate, any hard-riding event they appear at this season.
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2024 men's start list
Visma-Lease a Bike
VAN AERT Wout
BENOOT Tiesj
JORGENSON Matteo
TRATNIK Jan
VAN BAARLE Dylan
Alpecin-Deceuninck
PHILIPSEN Jasper
BALLERSTEDT Maurice
GHYS Robbe
GROVES Kaden
MEURISSE Xandro
VAN TRICHT Stan
VERMEERSCH Gianni
Intermarché-Wanty
GIRMAY Biniam
TEUNISSEN Mike
MIHKELS Madis
REX Laurence
PETIT Adrian
SMITH Dion
ZIMMERMANN Georg
VANSINTMAARTENSDIJK Roel
Soudal Quick-Step
ALAPHILIPPE Julian
ASGREEN Kasper
LAMPERTI Luke
MOSCON Gianni
PEDERSEN Casper
SVRČEK Martin
VANGHELUWE Warre
Arkéa-B&B Hotels
DÉMARE Arnaud
DEKKER David
GRONDIN Donavan
MCLAY Dan
MOZZATO Luca
Astana Qazaqstan
BOL Cees
FEDOROV Yevgeniy
GAZZOLI Michele
GIDICH Yevgeniy
GRUZDEV Dmitriy
MØRKØV Michael
SYRITSA Gleb
Bahrain-Victorious
GRADEK Kamil
PASQUALON Andrea
BRUTTOMESSO Alberto
GOVEKAR Matevž
MIHOLJEVIĆ Fran
RAJOVIČ Dušan
SCOTT Cameron
WIŚNIOWSKI Łukasz
Bora-Hansgrohe
JUNGELS Bob
VAN POPPEL Danny
HERZOG Emil
DENZ Nico
MEEUS Jordi
MACIEJUK Filip
MULLEN Ryan
HALLER Marco
Cofidis
DE GENDT Aimé
ALLEGAERT Piet
DEBEAUMARCHAIS Nicolas
FRETIN Milan
NOPPE Christophe
RENARD Alexis
ROBEET Ludovic
ZINGLE Axel
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
NAESEN Oliver
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
DE BONDT Dries
DE PESTEL Sander
GAUTHERAT Pierre
POLLEFLIET Gianluca
TOUZÉ Damian
dsm-firmenich PostNL
DEGENKOLB John
BITTNER Pavel
EEKHOFF Nils
EDMONDSON Alex
FLYNN Sean
VAN UDEN Casper
WELTEN Bram
EF Education-EasyPost
BETTIOL Alberto
BISSEGGER Stefan
DOULL Owain
HONORÉ Mikkel Frølich
POWLESS Neilson
ROOTKIN-GRAY Jack
VALGREN Michael
Groupama-FDJ
KÜNG Stefan
ASKEY Lewis
BYSTRØM Sven Erik
LIENHARD Fabian
MADOUAS Valentin
PITHIE Laurence
RUSSO Clément
Ineos Grenadiers
VIVIANI Elia
SHEFFIELD Magnus
SWIFT Ben
SWIFT Connor
TARLING Josh
TURNER Ben
WURF Cameron
Jayco-AlUla
DURBRIDGE Luke
JANSEN Amund Grøndahl
MEZGEC Luca
O'BRIEN Kelland
QUICK Blake
REINDERS Elmar
WALSCHEID Max
Lidl-Trek
PEDERSEN Mads
DE CLERQ Tim
STUYVEN Jasper
MILAN Jonathan
SKUJIŅŠ Toms
THEUNS Edward
VACEK Mathias
Movistar
LAZKANO Oier
CANAL Carlos
CAVAGNA Rémi
JACOBS Johan
NORSGAARD Mathias
MORO Manlio
TORRES Albert
UAE Team Emirates
WELLENS Tim
OLIVEIRA Ru
COVI Alessandr
HIRSCHI Marc
HODEG José Álvaro
MOLANO Juan Sebastián
POLITT Nils
Lotto Dstny
CAMPENAERTS Victor
BERKMOES Jenno
BEULLENS Cedric
DE BUYST Jasper
EENKHOORN Pascal
SEGAERT Alec
VAN MOER Brent
Israel-Premier Tech
FUGLSANG Jakob
HOULE Hugo
NEILANDS Krists
SHEEHAN Riley
STEWART Jake
STRONG Corbin
VERNON Ethan
Q36.5 Pro Cycling
LUDVIGSSON Tobias
CHRISTEN Fabio
MONK Cyrus
PARISINI Nicolò
STEIMLE Jannik
ZUKOWSKY Nickolas
Uno-X Mobility
KRISTOFF Alexander
HVIDEBERG Jonas Iversby
GUDMESTAD Tord
TILLER Rasmus
BENDIXEN Louis
RESELL Erik Nordsæter
WALLIN Rasmum Bøgh
Flanders-Baloise
CLAEYS Arno
COLMAN Alex
DE VYLDER Lindsay
DEWEIRDT Siebe
VANDEVELDE Yenti
VANHOOF Ward
VERCOUILLIE Victor
Bingoal WB
BLOUWE Louis
DESAL Ceriel
MEENS Johan
PEYSKENS Dimitr
VAN BOVEN Luca
VAN ROOY Kenneth
VLIEGEN Loïc
Dwars door Vlaanderen 2024 women's start list
Team SD Worx-Protime
VOLLERING Demi
KOPECKY Lotte
BREDEWOLD Mischa
GERRITSE Femke
SHACKLEY Anna
WIEBES Lorena
UAE Team ADQ
CONSONNI Chiari
PERSICO Silvia
BERTIZZOLO Sofia
GASPARRINI Eleonora Camilla
HOLDEN Elizabeth
SWINKELS Karlijn
Team Visma-Lease A Bike
VOS Marianne
OUDEMAN Maud
VIGIE Margaux
VAN EMPEL Fem
VEENHOVEN Nienke
VON BERSWORDT Sophie
Lidl-Trek
LONGO BORGHINI Elisa
BRAND Lucinda
CHAPMAN Brodie
HANSON Lauretta
VAN ANROOIJ Shirin
VAN DIJK Ellen
AG Insurance-Soudal Team
BOOGAARD Maaike
BORGSTRÖM Julia
GHEKIERE Justine
(LE COURT) PIENAAR Kimberley
LOUW Anya
FDJ-Suez
ADEGEEST Loes
BROWN Grace
CURINIER Léa
GUAZZINI Vittoria
KRAAK Amber
Movistar Team
GUTIÉRREZ Sheyla
NORSGAARD Emma
MACKAIJ Floortje
BIANNIC Aude
RUIZ PÉREZ Laura
SIERRA Arlenis
Liv AlUla Jayco
CAMPBELL Teniel
MANLY Alexandra
PATE Amber
PATERNOSTER Letizia
ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby
SMULDERS Silke
Fenix-Deceuninck
TRUYEN Marthe
CANT Sanne
KASTELIJN Yara
DE WILDE Julie
KULYNYCH Olha
PERKINS Flora
PIETERSE Puck
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
BARBIERI Rachele
BARALE Francesca
CIABOCCO Eleonora
HENGEVELD Daniek
VAN DER MEIDEN Anna
VINKE Nienke
Uno-X Mobility
ANDERSEN Susanne
ANDERSON Solbjørk Minke
BARKER Elinor
BERG EDSETH Marte
KOSTER Anouska
LOWDEN Joscelin
Roland
CHRISTOFOROU Antri
COLLINELLI Sofia
DRONOVA-BALABOLINA Tamara
PIRRONE Elena
SWINKELS Sylvie
VETTORELLO Giorgia
Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
ARZUFFI Alice Maria
DE ZOETE Mylène
EBERLE Lana
KERBAOL Cédrine
LACH Marta
TEUTENBERG Lea Lin
Human Powered Health
CORDON-RAGOT Audrey
EDWARDS Ruth
GROSSETÊTE Maëlle
PIKULIK Daria
WOOD Alice
RAGUSA Katia
Lotto Dstny Ladies
DE JONG Thalita
BASTIAENSSEN Fauve
AINTILA Wilma
DE KEERSMAEKER Audrey
GREVE Alberte
VAN DE GUCHTE Quinty
Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women
DRUMMOND Michaela
FAHLIN Emilia
FOUQUENET Amandine
LE DEUNFF Marie-Morgane
MORICHON Anais
TRÉGOUËT Maurène
VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team
STULTIENS Sabrina
VAN BOKHOVEN Julia
KNIJNENBURG Anne
SOUREN Scarlett
VAN ROOIJEN Sofie
VANHOVE Marith
Cofidis Women Team
ALZINI Martina
BERTEAU Victoire
KERN Špela
FORTIN Valentine
ROY Sarah
VAN HAAFTEN Kirstie
Bepink-Bongioanni
CASAGRANDA Andrea
GRASSI Vittoria
JENČUŠOVÁ Nora
KARASIEWICZ Karolina
SAVI Prisca
SCHNEIDER Cybèle
Lifeplus-Wahoo
FRANZ Heidi
GONZÁLEZ Alicia
HARRIS Ella
RICHARDSON Kate
RYSZ Kaja
SÖDERQVIST Karin
Proximus-Cyclis CT
POPPE Febe
VEERMAN Deborah
CENT Marit
DE GROOT Marieke
VAN GOETHEM Femke
VAN BELLE Lisa
St Michel-Mavic-Auber93
AVOINE Alison
BORRAS Marion
FOURNIER Roxane
LE MOUEL Célia
POMPANON Margot
ROUSSEL Elyne
Team Coop-Repsol
GRANGIER India
GREENWOOD Monica
JØRGENSEN Tiril
TACEY April
HAUGSET Sigrid Ytterhus
VAN ROOIJEN Eline
Chevalmeire
GRÖNDAHL Antonia
BEX Nathalie
BRAAM Danique
KIEKENS Cleo
ERIKSEN Malin
NILSSON Hanna
